Looking for power tool guidance

[JP Chestnut]

Greetings all,

I know there are some very handy people on here, and I'm hoping some of you could lend me the benefit of your experience. I'm a new homeowner just starting to do some bigger DIY project.

I'm having my front deck redone this summer, and I've decided to break it down myself to the underlying structural components so that the contractor can just focus on building it back up.

I was able to get all the railings off but some of the nails that were used to affix the trim were incredibly hard to get out. They look somewhat like this: https://www.menards.com/main/hardwa...ring-nail-1lb-box/2295103/p-1444441856218.htm
but bigger and longer.

Using a long pry bar/nail puller, I ended up having to pry the heads through a bunch of the boards. I could not budge them out of the pressure treated 4x4s they were driven to.

My next task is pulling up all the decking boards and I'm assuming they were affixed with the same kind of nails. I'd like to pressure wash and reuse the decking boards which won't be possible if I have to rip all the nail heads through them.

I'm thinking that it might be better to get under the deck and cut any stuck nails where they meet the joists. Can someone please tell me what kind of power tool would be easiest to use for this job? I'm thinking either a reciprocating saw, an angle grinder with a cut off disk, or an oscillating multi-tool could be used but I suspect they would not be equally suited.

I'm on the Makita 18V platform if it matters. Thanks in advance!

 

[WinMod21]

I think you'd most likely be able to plunge-cut the nails with an oscillating multi-tool, w/metal blade, as one would typically be able to make the closest/or the most level plunge-cut with the multi-tool blade, from underneath the deck.

A Sawzall, or reciprocating saw, with a good Lennox or Bosch all-purpose blade, or metal blade, will fly right thru the nails, but the angle of the cut would typically be steeper, therefore doing more damage to the bottom side of the decking boards and/or increasing the possibility of jamming &c.

However a Sawzall or reciprocating saw, can typ make faster work of cutting deadhead nails around doorways.

Rarely, depending on what kind of decking nails were used, sometimes you can pound on the underside of the decking boards - to pop the nail-heads up enough (being sure to first hold a small chunk of wood, or beater board against the bottom of the deck boards, in order to not dent/crack or break the deckboards), to then pry the nails up & out (after first laying a slim shim of metal or plywood adjacent to the popped-up nail-heads—before prying the nail-heads—in order to protect the decking boards from the pry bar leaving dent marks on the top of the decking).
If you decide to try it, the pounding from underneath, be sure to only try it on the most out-of-the-way, most un-noticeable joist, as it can leave big counter-sink holes, on the top of the decking boards, if the nails don't budge.
But that method rarely works, especially if the decking nails used were galvanized, or twisted or ribbed &c.

That's why it's always best to use decking screws!

 

[anavrinIV]

Have you found a contractor for this yet, and are they willing to reuse the boards? IMO "rebuilding" with same materials will result in a worse deck, and there may be issues with uniformity of the decking boards especially if you're mating old boards to new pressure treat which will shrink.

The only way to flush cut the nails will be a multi tool but that will be crazy time consuming and you sill need to remove the rest of the nail, now with no shank to get at.

I would not plan to reuse decking boards, new ones are not that expensive unless you are going composite. I built a new deck a couple months ago only reusing the house bands and joists, everything else new

 

[neophyte]

An oscillating tool like the Fein multimaster will cut thru the nails, but you would want to use the carbide tooth blades from either Fein or Bosch, and you would likely need multiple blades, and possible some type of cutting lubricant.
The comment above about whether a contractor would be willing or want to reuse the boards is a good one.
A Sawzall would work, but would likely damage the boards to an extent.

Sometimes, if you need to remove a nail discretely, it’s possible to use a punch to hammer the nail head back and forth a bit to expand the nail hole to make the nail easier to remove.
There is still risk of damaging the wood though, and it’s hoing to take longer, and may not always be effective.

 

[theoldwizard1]

About 10 years ago, I helped by son disassemble a deck that used twisted/ardox nail. I think they were hot dipped galvanized. The deck boards were rotten so we just broke them of leave dozens and dozens of those nail sticking out. We wanted to remove because the city would actually take all of the old wood it it did not have any nails sticking out.

First you need a "full sized" crowbar/wrecking bar, about 3-4 feet long. Second you need a piece of a 2x4 for the fulcrum point so that you have the proper angle. Third, you need a pair of decent ViceGrips to grip the shank if you have ripped the head of. Clamp it on and go back to the crowbar.

It took a couple of people a couple of days to get that deck dismantled and cut into sizes that the city would take. Think back, we saved a lot of money on dumpster fees, by cutting down scrap to smaller sizes so that the city would take. Over a period of a couple of years, we must have pulled out over 20 wood or galvanized steel posts, set in concrete. Many were done the "hard way".

 

[jd_1138]

I'd just use a multi-tool to cut material out under the nail then use a cat's paw to yank out the nails. Makita makes multi-tools, or you can buy an el cheapo corded one. I have a Ryobi corded one I paid $30 for 10 years ago, and it's been beat like a redheaded stepchild and still works well.

 

[JP Chestnut]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Reusing the boards was actually the contractors idea. They're only 5 years old and and they look perfect on the underside. When the house was built, they painted the deck with some plasticy **** brown paint - which was a big part of why we’re changing it up.

If they come off in a state that would result in a suboptimal outcome where they used, I’ll just replace them all.

 

[MarvinBerry]

I'd humbly suggest that if it was the contractors idea to reuse the decking then let them figure out the best way to remove & refurbish it. His idea his problem.

IME even if you think the underside of thed boards look ok, once you have them up in the cold light of day it's a different world. Think UV mold & insect damage...

There's being cheap and then being so cheap you can't afford to be that level of cheap. Guess which side of the line your on?!

 

[RTM]

I can’t imagine working under my decks with a Fein cutting nails to salvage boards. You’d need very long blades, and spend a lot of time in gross places working with your arms overhead for hours at a time.

I just tried to salvage some redwood fence boards nailed to PT rails. Nice patina on the boards, til the nails would not tap out. Now a nice pile of firewood, so I know you will need to cut. Or wish they had used screws.

 

[Bretny]

You have spirial deck nails holding the boards on and your trying to reuse them? Good luck with that. As you have alreaty found out they hold really well...by pulling the nails through the boards.

Look up the cost of the deck boards before you go buying a tool that will still take hours to get them off. Much less cleaning them up enough to reuse.

 

[JP Chestnut]

Thanks guys. It's looking like reuse isn't feasible. The contractor initially suggested that I attempt to pull them out not knowing what sort of nails were used, and if it ended up being a PITA to just replace them. I'll still pull them up but if they get destroyed... no biggie.

On edit, I'll probably just do this: